West Campus Combined Utility Plant

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Kit of Parts

“It’s actually like a piece of equipment,” architect Helmut Jahn said of his utility plant for the University of Chicago. Pumps, boilers, chillers, cooling towers — the functions of the building are arranged vertically like a “kit of parts.”

Photo by Tom Rossiter

Washington Park Views

The West Campus Combined Utility Plant is located just north of the Center for Care and Discovery across from Washington Park.

Photo by Tom Rossiter

Glass Façade

The West Campus Combined Utility Plant features a glass skin that protects the utilitarian equipment inside.

Designed by Helmut Jahn, the West Campus Combined Utility Plant is “almost like a kit of parts,” with color-coded steam and chilling functions encased in a glass skin. The plant supports west and central campus buildings and is largely machine-run without extensive human supervision. It was built with enough square footage to enable the demand for utilities to increase over the years. The plant received a Distinguished Building Award from the AIA Chicago Foundation in 2011.

Internationally recognized and award-winning architect Helmut Jahn explains blending the aesthetics of machinery and outdoor space in his cutting-edge West and South Utility Plants design for the University of Chicago.